Mark Lavender's Blog

Basketball Greatness!

2009-01-05T21:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I got to sit on the bench for the very first time on New Year's Eve in San Antonio. We lost 75-57 to Incarnate Word but it was fun to be on that side of the ball game.

Enough about that game though. The last two games the Wildcats have played have been unbelievable, to say the least. On Saturday afternoon, we won 104-95 despite allowing a player on the other team to set a Lone Star Conference record with 53 points. That record, however, would only last barely 48 hours!

Tonight, the Wildcats faced off against Texas Woman's University. Despite being down 12 at the half, the Wildcats came charging back to take a lead before settling for overtime....well, four overtimes to be exact!

Long story short, ACU won tonight in record fashion, 147-143 in 4 OT's. It was easily the most remarkable game I have ever seen! And that's saying a lot considering I was at the Rose Bowl a couple of years ago when Texas beat Michigan.

Needless to say, I am completely wiped out...and didn't even have to play. And oh yeah, that LSC record of 53 points in game? Gone. The new record is now 63 points by a TWU player. Jamie Meyer for ACU had 49 - a new ACU record for most points in a game. Overall, there were 18 NCAA, LSC and ACU records set in the game.

ACU has now won 6 of their last 7 games. Their only loss in that stretch? The game I sat on the bench. I guess my permanent spot from here on out will be in the stands!

Read the ACU article here - ACU Web Site

Coaching Greatness

2008-12-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

Pat Summitt (Tennessee). Geno Auriemma (Connecticut). Gail Goestenkors (Texas). Mark Lavender (Abilene Christian). Granted, I'm probably not at a point in my career to be mentioned in the same sentence as these great women's college basketball coaches. You see, greatness has to start somewhere. Some achieve fame quicker than others. Some ascend the ranks of coaching immortality faster than others. But for each coach that takes their seat on the bench, there has to be a first time. Just like each of them had to do, I too will "coach" my first game in just over two weeks when the Wildcats travel to San Antonio for a rematch with Incarnate Word.

The ACU Wildcats played easily their best game of the young season last night when they defeated a good Incarnate Word team 68-53 in Moody Coliseum. Many will say that a good week of practice highlighted by the end of the semester and finals week was all the motivation the Wildcats needed to get the victory last night. However, I say that deep down, even if each player didn't realize it, they played with an anticipation and an excitement knowing that the next time they hit the court with Incarnate Word, I would be making my coaching debut.

As for now though, I will take my familiar place behind the wheel of the bus tomorrow morning as we travel to Oklahoma for a couple of games this week. However don't be surprised if December 31, 2008 becomes a date for sports trivia lovers to remember -- the date I, Mark Lavender, began his hall-of-fame coaching career in San Antonio, Texas.

If you're coming to the game, be sure you hang on to your ticket stub. There's no telling how much that will be worth some day! If you can't be there, be sure to tune in to ESPNEWS around 4:00 pm for my press conference. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-11-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday....my 39th birthday to be exact. I can remember when my parents turned 40 and I thought they were old. Now, I am one year from that historic age and am determined not to feel old. There's a lot I want to accomplish in the next 365 days so here's my Top 39 things to do before turning 40 (in no particular order):

39. Read 4 books
38. Eat healthier
37. Eat more Mexican food (I know, but this is my life!)
36. Do not watch sports as much on TV
35. Complete 750 miles of aerobic exercise (running, elliptical machine, etc.)
34. Weigh 185 pounds at some point this year
33. Say I love you to Shawna more often
32. Wake up happy every morning
31. Update my Blog more often
30. Drink fewer mochas
29. Run a sub 71 second 400 meters (Ha!)
28. Be the assistant basketball coach for one game (December 31)
27. Shoot a 77 or better in golf
26. Drink more water
25. Sit quietly through a basketball game
24. Go to an ACU National Championship Football Game
23. Celebrate an ACU Football National Championship
22. Always wear my seat belt
21. Birdie the first hole at Maxwell
20. See the stock market rise back above 11,000
19. Figure out a way to start my own business without going bankrupt
18. Eat another Hot Hamburger in Bartlesville, OK (yum!)
17. Drive the ACU bus without hitting an animal
16. Be more spontaneous
15. Kick a 40-yard field goal
14. Save more money
13. Go on more dates
12. Take a nice vacation
11. Eat ribs at the Country Tavern outside Tyler
10. Laugh every day
09. Spend more time with Austin
08. Sincerely tell an official "good game"
07. Care less about fantasy football
06. Win my fantasy football league this year
05. Take Austin to another Texas Ranger game
04. Pray more
03. Give up Dr. Pepper
02. Be a better father and husband
01. Go to Las Vegas to usher in year #40

So, there you go. Obviously some of these items will be easier than others. I'll try (#31) to keep you updated on my progress. But for now, there's a lot of good food outside my office that needs to be consumed!

"The Bet"

2008-08-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

For those that know me well, you know I have a propensity for opening my mouth and making "guarantees" that sometimes I can't deliver. Well, it happened again!

During the Olympics, I smarted off that I could run the 400 meters in less than 65 seconds. After Shawna stopped laughing, she somehow managed to get out that not only could I not run it under 65 seconds, I couldn't run it under 75 seconds. With my competitive nature, I immediately accepted and demanded that if I could manage to run the 400 meters in less than 75 seconds, I should be allowed to sit on the bench during a road ACU women's basketball game this year. Deal!

So, Sunday afternoon, Austin and I headed up to the ACU track. Shawna was already there meeting with her basketball team. I was so focused on the race I guess that I slammed into the back of a car at the intersection of Judge Ely and Highway 80 (I'll blog about that later). After a 1 hour delay, we managed to make it to the track. I tried to back out as I was not in the right frame of mind. My wife, being the loving and caring and supporting person she is, said absolutely not.

To make a long story short, I somehow managed to make it around the track in 71 seconds! While I did not best my personal goal of 65 seconds, I did manage to beat 75 seconds and secure my spot on the bench for the December 31 game at Incarnate Word. For those of you that don't have New Year's Eve plans, it might well be worth the trip to San Antonio to witness my debut as "Assistant Coach"!

There is an actual video of my journey around the track but I am having a difficult time uploading it. In the meantime, here are a couple of pre-race pictures. The first is one of Austin giving me some advice. In the second, you will see what Shawna thinks my actual chances are of making it in 75 seconds or less!

Dear Austin,

2008-08-01T14:09:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday little buddy. It seems almost impossible to think that you are turning two years old today. I really think that this past year went by faster than the first! You are growing up so fast!

I have enjoyed watching you grow into a little boy these past twelve months. Just one short year ago you were barely able to walk from one end of the room to the other. Today, you are running all over the place and jumping off the furniture. You seem to have no fear!

You have also developed such an awesome personality. I guess you get that from your mommy! I love how people are drawn to you because of your smile and your laughter. It's so much fun to be in the mall or the store and watch how you smile and wave and say hello to complete strangers. You can bring a smile to even the most distant stranger.

You have also become quite the little athlete this year -- again, you get that from your mommy! You love kicking the soccer ball, hitting a baseball and swinging the golf club. You can see any sport on television and immediately call out which sport it is you are watching. You have no idea how much your daddy loves that!

I am so thankful that God entrusted your mommy and I to take care of you. You'll never know how much we love you. While you continue to grow and learn everyday, I think you teach us more than we will ever realize.

I can't wait to see what the next twelve months have in store for you. Thank you for being my little man. I love you more than you will ever know! Happy birthday kiddo!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Josh. Being. Josh.

2008-07-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

There's a 10 year old waking up Christmas morning to find that brand new bicycle he so desperately wanted.

There's a 18 year old driving off the lot with his first car to truly call his own.

There's a a 30 year old hearing the love of his life say yes to the most important question he will ever ask.

And then there was last night. You would have thought I had won the lottery!

See it for yourself - http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200807093104033

Hear it for yourself - http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/audio/07-08/0710rangerscall.mp3

The legend continues to grow........

Prayers of a 22 Month Old

2008-06-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

I love getting Austin ready for bed at night. My favorite part is when he says his prayers. You never know what he is going to be thankful for from night to night. Here's a list of his top 5 things he has said thank you for over the past few nights:

Thursday, June 5
1. Mama
2. Water
3. Clock
4. TV
5. Dada

Saturday, June 7
1. Mama
2. Baseball
3. Rangers
4. Juice
5. Dada

Sunday, June 8
1. Mama
2. Cheese
3. Shoes
4. Dada
5. Golf

Monday, June 9
1. Mama
2. Dada
3. Fan
4. Book
5. Baseball

Besides the fact that I have finally made it up the list to the #2 spot behind Mama, I think I was most proud of the fact that he mentioned the Rangers on Saturday night. I just hope the Lord was listening and will answer this little one's prayers for a team in desparate need of pitching!

Seriously though, there is absolutely no better way to end a day than to have Austin curled up in my lap and thanking God for all the little things in his life. Thank you God for giving me a son that is teaching me in ways I never thought possible.

Great Day!

2008-05-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days that I will never forget. I know that some day I'll look back on May 25 with a smile on my face. Shawna's been out of town since Friday morning as her and her sister drove to Deming, NM to see their grandmother for Memorial Day Weekend. So, that left me and Austin at home alone.

After church and lunch and a nap, Austin and I swam in the pool for a solid hour. He had so much fun jumping off the side of the pool and into my arms. After every jump, he would laugh hysterically and say, "One more time?" Of course, my answer was always yes! He even practiced swimming and did a great job of kicking his feet and sticking his arms straight out while I balanced him with my arms under his stomach. Finally, he wore himself out and we went inside for a macaroni and cheese dinner with some lunch meat and peaches. He ate like a horse. Immediately after eating, he asked, "Wok?", which in 22-month old language translates into "Walk?" So, we put on our tennis shoes and took off for a walk. It took us 68 minutes to walk to the next street and back. He took his time and picked up every rock and pointed out every bug he saw. He did his best to sneak up on each bird he saw on the ground but seemed content when it would fly off before he could get within 20 feet of it. He got excited every time we encountered a neighbor out walking their dog and managed to spend 5 minutes running up and down a sand pile in the yard of a new house being built behind ours. I just watched him and soaked every bit of it in knowing that some day I will wonder what happened to my little boy when he wants to spend all of his time at the ball park or hanging out with his friends, not his old man! I couldn't help but think maybe that's what Jesus feels like when we get to heaven. Does He just walk beside us as and soak it all in when we are in awe of everything around us and get excited about the little things?

I don't know about that but today was one of those days where I was so thankful to be a father to one of the greatest little kids in the world. Here are a few recent pictures of Austin.

Fun Weekend

2008-03-17T08:22:00.001-07:00

This weekend was a great weekend for outdoor activities. We took advantage of the weather and spent a lot of time outdoors at the park, the zoo and the ballpark. Here are some pictures:

Superstitions

2008-02-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what happens when a basketball team wins 5 games in a row. The Wildcats have won 5 straight conference games and it seems like everyone is afraid to do anything different. We have one player on the team that accidentally wore her basketball shorts backwards during the first game of this streak so she has worn them backwards for every game since. The team started a new "yell" after each practice at the beginning of this streak and have continued that yell ever since. Shawna has worn the same socks for each game during the streak and I have worn the same clothes (lucky jeans and an ACU sweater) for every game - except one - and that's because we played in Kingsville and it was 85 degrees outside.

I've even started an unplanned streak of running over an animal on each road trip during the streak. I hit a cat in Kingsville and a roadrunner in Portales!

Do you have any lucky superstitions?

What a Difference a Year Makes!!

2008-01-22T14:06:00.001-08:00

Pictures of Austin

2008-01-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

As promised to several, here are some fairly recent pictures of Austin. Enjoy!

Austin helping MeMe and his cousins make Christmas cookies.

Posing in front of our Christmas tree

Thanksgiving snow!

Warming up in front of the fire

Off to school (my favorite picture!)

The Winds of Change

2008-01-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

My apologies to the two or three of you who have happened upon my blog over the past few months only to find nothing new. Things have been a little hectic of late. I'll explain:

On December 4th, I was made aware that my department at ACU (Alumni Outreach) was being dissolved and that I could either go to work back in admissions (I worked there for 10 years prior to working in Alumni) or I could leave ACU. Obviously this came as quite a shock. Because I have a family to help support, I chose to go to work in admissions. I can work there until June 1 and, if I chose to leave, will receive a severance package. So, I started working back in admissions on January 2. It's not exactly what I had planned to be doing in 2008 but I figure the Lord will reveal his plan to me in due time. Whether that's for me to stay in admissions or move on somewhere else, I'm totally putting my trust and faith in his hands. I know everything will be ok.

Just as I found out this information, Shawna's team was in the midst of a losing streak that saw them drop 6 of their first 8 games of the season. Needless to say, things were not too cheery in the Lavender household in December. However, every time we walked in our house, we were greeted by the best thing in our lives - Austin. He has grown up so fast and is all over the place and trying to put more than one word together at a time. He can tell us he wants juice (he could be saying jews, but we are pretty sure he's saying juice!), calls us Ma-Ma and Da-Da and loves Domino (or Don-Do as he calls her). With Austin around, nothing else really seems to matter. What an incredible kid!

The basketball team has since rebounded and won 5 out of 6 games and is back to .500 with a 7-7 record. We won our conference opener last night, so we're 1-0 as far as I'm concerned.

I'll follow up this post with another one that will have nothing but pictures of Austin from the past few months. He's never met a camera he didn't like!! Give me a few hours to get new pictures uploaded. Until then, Happy New Year!

Typical Guy

2007-10-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Funny story. Last night we returned home from a weekend trip to Austin. We rolled into Abilene around 10:45 pm and by the time we got the car unloaded and Austin to bed, it was almost 11:30 pm. We were getting ready for bed and Shawna was getting into her pajamas. She walked by in her underwear when I proclaimed, "Hey, you got some new underwear!" She replied with a half-hearted "yes" and then paused for a few seconds. I could tell there was more to follow. She put on her pajama bottoms and says, "You noticed I had on new underwear but haven't said anything about the haircut I received three days ago. That's a typical guy!"

Ummm, nice haircut Shawna!

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

2007-09-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since I last posted anything. I had intended to post some pictures from Austin's 1st birthday party but never did. I'll try to do that this week. In the meantime, I have a funny story about Austin.

Austin started attending Rainbow Bible School on August 15. He goes five days a week. It was hard to send him there at first, but he's quickly adapted and is eager to get into the room each morning when we drop him off. Last Thursday afternoon I picked Austin up from school around 4:45 pm. After gathering up all his stuff, one of the teachers followed me out of the room and asked if she could talk to me for just a second. She told me that Austin had a little problem at school that day. Evidently, he and a couple of other children did what little kids do, they fight over the same toy. Well, Austin decided to take matters into his own hands (or mouth) and bit one of the boys. Unfortunately it didn't stop there. He preceded to bite another boy later in the day. All told, he bit 2 boys a total of 4 times!! Needless to say, I was shocked, humiliated and embarrassed!

On Friday afternoon, I picked up Austin with a lump in my throat. What where they going to tell me this time? Had he bit more kids? Did he draw blood this time? I could tell by the look on the teacher's face that the news was not good. He again bit the same two boys - one of them twice, the other once.

That weekend, I tried to provoke Austin by taking away his toys and seeing if he would bite me. I wanted to teach him a lesson by biting him back. Of course, nothing happened.

On Monday afternoon, Shawna picked up Austin with the news that we were making improvements. Austin only bit one of the boys once!

Now, before we go any further, it's important to know that the two boys Austin is picking on happen to be friends of ours. One of the boys (Braydon) mother works in admissions and I work with her on a regular basis. The other boy (Sutton)? Well, he's my bosses child! Fortunately, they understood that this is just part of growing up and are not holding any grudges against us. I was fearful for my job there for a while!

Yesterday afternoon, I made my way to Rainbow Bible School about 4:45. As I was going into the building, one of the boys that Austin has been biting, Braydon, and his mom were leaving. Not knowing quite what to say, I asked Braydon's mom if Austin had bit him today. With an awkward look on her face, she said no, but that Braydon bit Austin! While that was uncomfortable for her to say, I was thrilled. I gave Braydon a high-five and told him good job! When I picked up Austin, the teachers informed me that Austin was bit. I told them I knew all about it. What was interesting was that after Austin was bit, they said he stood up with a puzzled look on his face and went and stood in the corner and did not want to be talked to or played with.

I guess Austin learned first hand that if you are going to dish it out, you better be prepared to take it yourself! Hopefully, that will put an end to Austin's little biting adventure.

For Halloween, we're thinking of dressing Austin up in a straight jacket and a mask and wheel him around on a dolly as Hannibal Lecter!!

Dear Austin,

2007-08-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that you are already one year old today. This past year has absolutely flown by. In just twelve short months, your mommy and I have watched you develop from a tiny little baby that could only eat, sleep and cry to a beautiful and handsome young boy that has developed a wonderful and sweet personality. You'll never know how much I love your little kisses. I know you get tired of daddy always asking for "daddy kisses", but you always reach up and give them to me, no matter what you are doing at the time.

I remember the day when you first rolled over from your back to your stomach. I was so excited and had to call mommy and brag to her that I got to be the first person to see you accomplish that feat. You then mastered the art of sitting up all by yourself and we were so excited. We began to wonder if you would ever crawl but after a lot of coaching, you were soon all over the house exploring new places never before seen by you. Once you learned to crawl, it seemed like only days before you were walking. You took your first real steps on Saturday, July 7. Daddy was watching golf on tv (go figure!) and mommy was in Houston recruiting. Out of no where, you pulled yourself up on the living room furniture and walked half-way across the room. You'd have made it further but you tripped on one of your toys. Again, daddy got so excited that he was the first to see you take your first real steps!

We know the years ahead are going to provide many more "firsts" for you and we can't wait to share them with you. Whether we are wiping away tears from your cheeks or cheering you on from the sidelines of life, we just want you to know that we will be there with you every step of the way. You were created out of love and it will be that love that will sustain you all the days of your precious life. Happy birthday little buddy! We love you!!!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

2007-07-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

There's an old poem entitled What Are Little Boys Made Of? It goes:

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails,
And puppy dog tails,
That's what little boys are made of.

Well, I want to add an ingredient to that mix!

Last Thursday evening, Shawna was working late and Austin and I were at the house by ourselves. We were playing in the living room when my cell phone rang in the bedroom. I jumped up to get it when I noticed what looked like a rubber band wadded up on the floor. I made a mental note to pick it up when I returned. Shawna was on the phone letting me know she was on her way home and would be there in a couple of minutes. Upon returning to the living room, I found Austin sitting where the rubber band was with his hands in his mouth. I immediately ran to him and grabbed his fingers out of his mouth. To my surprise, what I thought was a rubber band was far from it! It turned out that the small object was a dime-sized amount of Domino poop! And worse yet, it was gone....well, except for the small amount smeared on Austin's fingers and cheek!

I quickly yanked him up and rushed him to the kitchen sink and forced my fingers in his mouth fishing for any remnants of this foul snack. Unable to find any, I thoroughly washed his hands and face with soap and water. Just after I cleaned him up, Shawna walked in the door. Now, I was faced with a decision. Do I tell her what Austin just ate before she kisses him or do I keep quiet?!?

If you know me well, then you know what I decided.

And We're Walking.......

2007-07-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a month since I last posted anything. During that time, Austin has abandoned his crawling and has starting walking everywhere he goes. He took his first real steps on Saturday July 7. Shawna was out of town and I was keeping Austin for the weekend. I was laying on the couch watching golf and Austin was on the floor playing with his toys. Out of no where, he stood up and took about 7 or 8 steps across the living room floor. He continued to walk on occassion until Wednesday night, July 11. Shawna was about to leave to take Austin to Austin while she did some recruiting when he just stood and and started walking everywhere he went. Since then, he has walked almost entirely everywhere he goes. It's funny to watch him as he often looks like a drunk sailor going from one end of the house to the other. Below this post are a few recent pictures of Austin.

On a side note, congratulations to the ACU Women's Basketball team. Yesterday, they found out they ranked #10 in the nation for team GPA amongst all Division II women's basketball teams in the nation. Their team GPA for the year was 3.449.

US Open

2007-06-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

I just returned with Kevin Campbell and Garrett Sublette from a 3-day tour of Pittsburgh where we went to the US Open (Wednesday's practice round and Thursday and Friday's round) and to the Texas Rangers - Pittsburgh Pirates games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

A couple of observations:

1. The freeway system in Pittsburgh is messed up!

2. Downtown Pittsburgh is awesome.

3. Oakmont Country Club is a beast!

4. The Rangers were awful except for the one game we did not go to.

5. Everyone drinks ice cold yingaling (beer). The three of us chuckled everytime we heard the the guy at the ballpark trying to sell "Ice cold yingaling!"

I got to meet Chad Campbell on Wednesday afternoon. When we told him we worked at ACU, he came over and visited with us for a while. (His brother Mike is ACU's golf coach).

Here are some pictures from our trip:

Downtown Pittsburgh

View of PNC Park from behind home plate

Chad Campbell

#3 at Oakmont (church pew bunkers on the left)

Me outside the gate

Mexico

2007-06-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been one month since I last posted anything on my blog....not that anyone really cares. A lot has happened in that month:

1. Our good friends Nich and Terri got married....finally!!
2. Shawna and Austin and I went to Mexico on vacation.
3. My grandmother passed away while we were in Mexico.
4. I returned home from Mexico with a nice case of Montezuma's Revenge!
5. Shawna and I joined the Abilene Country Club.

Let me explain #5. We were offered an opportunity that was too good to pass up. We had our initiation fee ($2500) waived and we pay a low monthly fee for full access to not only Abilene Country Club but also Fairway Oaks Country Club. The one thing I noticed when driving through the parking lot on Wednesday evening after playing golf was that there were not many Nissan Maxima's with 180,000 miles in the parking lot. We're definitely "low men on the tote-em pole".

As I stated earlier, my grandmother passed away on May 23 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease. Once she got to a point where she could not swallow her food, the doctor's took her off all food and water and gave her 5-7 days to live. She made it 21 days! She was a real fighter. I miss her a ton but know that she is now able to walk and talk and think clearly again for the first time in many, many years. Here's my favorite picture of her (taken a few months ago):

Mexico was a blast. I wish we could have stayed longer than 6 days. We had our own cook and cleaning staff so we never had to lift a finger while we were there. Our house was located right on the beach with it's own private beach area and pool. Here are a few of pictures of our trip.

Embarrassed and Humiliated

2007-05-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

I have another web site that I use to provide information about the ACU Women's Basketball team -- acuwildcats.com. One day after a tough loss, I wrote an article with the above title and the following words:

I am going to put as much effort into writing this article as I saw on the floor last night.

That's all I wrote. Evidently, several people receive google alerts about ACU and when they saw this post, they thought it was ACU's own web site and were upset that ACU would write something like that about their own team. So, after a call from my VP, I had to make a few changes to that post.

Well, this time around, I'm talking about the Dallas Mavericks. Unbelievable! Losing to Golden State!! In 6 game no less!! I hope the Phoenix Suns win it all but someone will have to let me know if they do because I won't watch another game from here on out.

---------------

Only 5 more weeks before my most anticipated trip of the summer -- the US Open Golf Tournament and Texas Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates.

And Shawna, my most anticipated trip of the spring is our trip to Mexico in a couple of weeks.

On the Road Again.....

2007-04-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Willie Nelson shared his love for travelling when he sang the words to "On the Road Again" in the movie Honeysuckle Rose in 1980. While Willie may have loved to travel and make music with his friends, I on the other hand am not that found of being on the road again. Unless, it's the stretch of travelling I am about to make over the next two months. Here's a preview:

This weekend I will travel to Dallas and represent ACU at an alumni reception in Garland where somewhere around 4,000 church of Christ folks will gather for the North Texas Praise and Unity Service. We're going to host a reception for all ACU alumni in attendance. The next night, I will partner with the admissions office when one of our alumni in Dallas will host a Purple and White Reception for prospective students to learn more about ACU.

The first week in May will find Shawna and I in Malibu, California for the Pepperdine Lectures. I will visit with several alumni from the area and will host a reception for all ACU alums that are attending the Bible lectures. This will be my third trip to Pepperdine and our reception has grown in size each year. This year, our good friends Kevin and Sarah Campbell will be there as Sarah is speaking a few times to teenagers in attendance. We look forward to hanging out with them some and eating some good seafood. I just hope we can find a restaurant that Kevin will eat at.

When we return from California, Shawna and I will spend a couple of nights celebrating our 6-year anniversary at a resort in Grandbury called Rough Creek. I've never been there but I hear it's wonderful.

The next day I will travel to Tyler to play in the East Texas Christian Academy golf tournament benefitting ETCA. This will be the 4th year in a row that I've played in this tournament. This is one of the tougher parts to my job!

I'll return from Tyler and have about 10 days in Abilene before Shawna, Austin and I will go to Leakey, TX for the wedding of Shawna's assistant coach, Terri Twilligear to Nich Pertuit. I'm really excited for Nich and Terri to get married and for Nich to be in Abilene. Nich's been in San Antonio for the entire two years Terri's been at ACU. I'm planning on Nich being my personal trainer so that I can some day get this 37 year old body back into some kind of shape!

We'll return from Leakey and have 1 day in Abilene before Shawna and Austin and I will fly to Playa del Carmen Mexico to vacation with Shawna's mom and stepdad (Sharmane and Neil) and Neil's two sons. We have a huge house with a cook and a maid for 6 days. Wow!!

After returning from Mexico, I'll head back to Dallas to play in another charitable golf tournament for ACU. I know.......

After that, I'll be back in Abilene for 7 days before leaving for my most anticipated trip this year. Kevin Campbell, Garrett Sublette and I will fly to Pittsburgh and will be at the US Open golf tournament on June 13-15. We'll get to be at the famed Oakmont Country Club and watch the Wednesday practice round and the first two rounds of the 2nd major of the season for the PGA. Having the opportunity to watch the likes of Tiger, Phil, Goosen, Furyk, etc, on golf's most challenging course is going to be awesome. And, on top of that, the Texas Rangers are playing the Pittsburgh Pirates in interleague action that Tuesday - Thursday night. So, it will be golf during the days and baseball at night. It just doesn't get a whole lot better than that!

Upon returning from Pittsburgh, I plan to sleep for quite a while!

A Master-ful Weekend

2007-04-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend. First of all, I'd like to petition ACU to incorporate 3-day weekends every week. Even though the weekend was cold and filled with snow, we had a great time just hanging out and spending time as a family. On Friday, we cleaned house and made the place look liveable again. It's amazing how a family of 3 can destroy a house in so little time. On Friday night, Kevin and Sarah Campbell came over for dinner and we explored money-making opportunities through developing small businesses. Well, at least Kevin and I did. I think Sarah and Shawna got bored with that conversation really quickly.

On Saturday, we hung around the house and watched it snow most of the day. We did make a quick trip to the mall just to walk around and get out of the house. Of course, we were home in time to watch the Master's on television.

On Sunday, we got up and went to church. This was Austin's first Easter but he didn't seem too excited about it. After church, Shawna made one of the best meals I've ever eaten: Rasberry-Chipotle Pork Loin, Cheesey Mashed Potato Bake, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole, Rolls and Hot Apple Crisp for dessert. She made enough to feed an army so if you're in the neighborhood, stop by. There's plenty of leftovers.

After lunch, Shawna and Austin left for Fort Worth. Shawna had a Lone Star Conference basketball head coaches meeting on Monday morning. She took Austin so my mom and dad could spend a little time with him. They'll come home tonight. I think Shawna thinks I was eager for them to go so I could spend the afternoon on the couch watching 4 hours of uninterrupted coverage of the Master's golf tournament. While I enjoyed the golf, it sure was quiet around the house. And speaking of golf, I was so pumped to see Zach Johnson win his first major. What an awesome guy. If you didn't see it, he was so humble and made many references to his faith. He has a great opportunity to use his life as a testimony to God. I may have a new favorite golfer.

Here are a couple of pictures of Austin on Easter morning. Have a great week!

Let The Madness Begin

2007-03-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

It's funny how March Madness brings out the basketball fan in just about everyone -- even those that don't know anything at all about basketball. I read an article once about how many man hours are lost at work on folks filling out their brackets. My picks: Oregon, UCLA, Georgetown and Texas A&M. UCLA over Georgetown. I now owe ACU 30 minutes worth of overtime.

**********

Jody Conradt is retiring as the head coach of the University of Texas Women's basketball team. She amassed 900 wins in her 38 seasons as head coach. I'm trying to get Shawna to apply for that job. If she could sign a 3-year contract worth around $300,000 - $400,000 a year, we could invest wisely and retire at the ages of 40 and 36. Plus, she could hire me as the "Official" Director of Basketball Operations. We would have built in babysitting (Shawna's mom lives in Austin) and all the Chuy's mexican food we could handle.

**********

I drove back from Deming, NM all by myself yesterday. 8 hours in a car by myself. I made one 10 minute stop in Odessa to refuel and grab a sandwich and listened to just about every song on my ipod. That is a long, long drive.

**********

It's spring break in Abilene this week. I love it when the students are not on campus. Can I say that??

**********

Now that daylight savings time has begun, it's officially golf season. Shawna and I have figured out a way where we can both play golf at the same time and get good exercise. All we need is a plastic shield to cover Austin's stoller and we're ready to tee it up.

**********

After looking at my calendar, I am in Abilene and not having to travel for the next 18 days. The last time I spent at least 18 straight days in Abilene was the first of September. I am so looking forward to that. Of course, I still have trips to Colorado (business), California (business), Dallas (business), Mexico (vacation) and Pittsburgh (US Open and Texas Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates) on the horizon over the next few months.

**********

Austin is now 7 1/2 months old. He's not really trying to crawl yet. Everyone says he needs to crawl to help his reading skills. If that's true, I must have skipped the crawling stage. Here are a few pictures of the kid:

What Hurts The Most

2007-02-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

The clock on the bus said it was 8:59 pm. We were on the outskirts of Oklahoma City and heading down I-44. To help make the trip go a little faster, I grabbed my IPOD, put in my ear pieces and clicked it on. The song that was cued up on my IPOD was “What Hurts the Most” by Rascal Flatts. The first words I heard went like this:

What hurts the most

Was being so close

And having so much to say

And watching you walk away

And never knowing

What could have been

And not seeing that loving you

Is what I was tryin' to do

Now I know this song is referring to a relationship between two people. But isn’t basketball, or sports in general, a lot like a relationship? (At least for those directly involved with the game?) For the coaches and the players, they pour every part of their being into basketball for 6 straight months. And in an instant, it’s over. The final horn sounds and your season is over. All the conditioning, all the practice, all the film study, all the bus trips, all the hotels, all the restaurants, all the fun times on the bus during an 8-hour trip, all the 3:00 am arrival times back to campus, all the heartbreak after a disappointing loss, all the excitement after a big win. All of it, finished. For the players that still have eligibility left, there’s always next year. But for those that have played their 4 years of college ball, competitive basketball is over.

For me, it’s a bittersweet time. The competitive fire in me wants to keep cheering the girls on. However, the father and husband in me is ready for a slower pace, a time to spend with my beautiful wife and ever-changing 7-month old son. I look forward to several months of family time without the constant stress of basketball. But I know come September, the juices will start flowing again and I’ll anxiously await the tip-off to a new season.

What could have been? We’ll never know. What will be? A great spring and summer spent with my beautiful family.

Provide a Caption

2007-02-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

Please feel free to provide your own caption to one of my finer moments in life! Thanks Debbie!

Happy New Year!!

2007-01-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that 2007 is already here. This time last year, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first child. Who knew that the 7 months leading up to Austin's birth would go so quickly. However, that time pales in comparison to the 5 months today that have gone by since Austin was born.

We were fortunate to spend 8 days in Hawaii (4 in Oahu and 4 in Maui) for Christmas. I told Austin not to expect this every Christmas! Here are a few pictures from the holidays. Blessings to you and yours on the upcoming year!

Austin and Mommy playing on the bed

Our family at a Luau

Shawna and I playing golf at the Plantation Course (The PGA plays the Mercedes Championship there this week!)

Austin catching some zzz's under the cabana!

Austin soaking up the sun by the pool!

My parents with all four of their grandsons

Austin's First Haircut and Santa

2006-12-14T05:17:00.000-08:00

Last week, Austin met Santa for the first time. And yesterday, he received his first haircut. Below are a few pictures. Austin is now ready to hit the beaches of Hawaii this weekend!

Anyone have any tips for travelling 8 hours in an airplane with an almost 5-month old child??

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! What a great time of the year to reflect on the blessings that God has showered on us. Below are a few things I am thankful for this year...in no particular order:

1. A perfect and healthy little baby boy!
2. A dog that has not torn another ACL in over 2 years!
3. A loving and gorgeous wife!
4. The ACU basketball team that is 2-0!
5. Two wonderful and loving parents!
6. An awesome sister, brother-in-law and three terrific nephews!
7. Fantastic in-laws...honestly!
8. The best friends a guy could ask for (that's about as mushy as I will get)!
9. Being 9-2 and in first place in fantasy football!
10. To know that I am forgiven and saved!

Here are a couple of recent pictures:

Random Wednesday Morning Minutia

2006-11-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

My fantasy football team is currently 6-2 and in first place. Shawna knows I'm having a good year not becuase of what she hears from me but because of what she does not hear from me.

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Senator Kerry needs to shut up. It's obvious he's dug himself into a hole with his comments and and now he's trying to deflect the criticism elsewhere. For the most part, I am a republican. But more times than not, I'll vote for who I think is the best person for that position. For once, can't our elected officials try to restore unity amongst all Americans instead of constantly trying to to build walls between us all?

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Hats off to Bob Barker! He's finally retiring at the age of 82. To be honest, I thought he was older than that. Is it just me or did other people find it a little creepy that he let people reach into his pocket for a $100 bill if their initial guess was exactly right from contestants row?

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Chris Campbell and Aaron Burtch are going to be the PA voice of ACU Women's basketball this upcoming season. I'm especially excited to hear Chris announce games as he is a lot like me in that he gets overly excited during sporting events. There's no telling what he's likely to say over the PA system!

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I finally broke down and bought an IPOD. I'm almost always a couple of years behind the curve. There's a marketing term for that but I've been out of college for almost 15 years. Rick Lytle would not be pleased with me.

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Congratulations to the Miami Heat for winning last year's NBA title. By the look of things last night, I hope they enjoy being called the defending champions. After losing by 42 points in your season opener, I don't think you'll wear the crown again after this year.

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NBA Predictions:

Western Conference Champs - Dallas Mavericks
Eastern Conference Champs - Detroit Pistons
NBA Champs - Dallas Mavericks

LSC Predictions:

1. Angelo State University
2. Abilene Christian University
3. West Texas A&M University
4. Tarleton State University

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ACU football is fun again. Well at least for the older fans. For me, this is the first time in my 18 years of ACU that I can remember having a great football team. Last week was a heartbreaker (lost on a field goal with 4 seconds left) but the program is in great hands. We're 7-1 and should end up 9-1 and in the playoffs.

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And finally, for Halloween, Austin was a chilipepper. Everyone thought he was either a carrot or a pumpkin. I can see carrot, but pumpkin?? My little boy is 3 months old today! I can't believe it. I can't remember what life was like before he was around...and I don't want to. Here's a picture of our little chilipepper:

October 15

2006-10-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

There are a few dates during the calendar year that I love:

August 1 - Austin's birthday
September 25 - Shawna's birthday
May 5 - Our anniversary
November 12 - My birthday
December 25 - Christmas

and....today, October 15.

October 15 each year marks the first day that college basketball teams all over the country can begin official practices. It also means that I am about to come down with a serious case of basketball fever.

Last night we had the opportunity to get together with many of the ex-ACU women's basketball players over the past few years. We had a blast telling stories about funny events in the past - most of which occured off the court. Here's a picture of that group from last night. Happy October 15!!

Missing Austin

2006-10-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

This week has been a little tougher than I thought it would be. Shawna and I met my parents halfway between Abilene and Ft. Worth and they took Austin to Ft. Worth for the week. They will bring him back on Friday night and stay the weekend with us. Austin will have his baby blessing at Highland on Sunday morning during early service.

Shawna and I took advantage of our time alone to go to dinner and a movie last night. We went to Copper Creek and had great seafood and then went to see Little Miss Sunshine -- quite possibly one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. The ending was absolutely hilarious. I highly recommend it.

Austin had his 2 month check up on Monday night. His height is in the 25%, his weight in the 50% and his hair is most likely in the 100%! Here are a couple of pictures of my little man...courtesy of Debbie Riggs - the best photographer in Abilene!

Austin's Busy Day

2006-08-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy day for Austin. With daddy taking some time off from work, there was plenty to do today. Here's a rundown of everything we did today:

-- Went to the Christian Service Center and donated a ton of clothing that mom and dad no longer wore.

-- Went to the post office and mailed some bills and thank you notes.

-- Went to Wal-Mart and bought some formula and a pacifer (dad accidentally left the pacifer at home so the unexpected trip to Wal-Mart was a must!)

-- Went to Dairy Queen for lunch. This was Austin's first fantasy football lunch. He didn't seem too excited that daddy traded for Larry Johnson!

-- Went to West Texas Golf and watched as daddy bought a new Titleist golf towel to go with his new Titleist golf bag.

-- Went to Target and bought a storage container to store all the gift bags we have accululated over the past few weeks.

-- Watched the Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-4.

-- Got a bath and went to bed!

Here's a picture of him tonight after his busy day. Daddy will look like this very soon!

Here are a few more recent pictures of my little man:

Austin and Domino getting some much needed rest!

Austin with Papa (his great-grandfather)

The Top 10 Things I Have Learned Since Becoming a Father

2006-08-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

From the home office in Abilene, Texas, here are the top 10 things I have learned since becoming a father:

10. I can actually function on only 5 hours of sleep.

9. There are a lot of old games shows on the Game Show Network at 3:00 am.

8. Washing machines can run non-stop.

7. It is ok to buy maxipads at the grocery store.

6. Austin burps and toots more than his daddy.

5. Just because his eyes are closed, doesn't mean he is actually asleep.

4. The trash can outside smells awful when it is filled with dirty diapers.

3. Always have a clean diaper ready to be put on immediately after taking the dirty one off because....

2. Little boys can pee really high when laying on their back, and...

1. Little boys, when their legs are lifted in the air for cleaning of the "backside", can shoot a "paintball" across the room.

Austin's Friends and Family

2006-08-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

I remember when my nephews were born. Braydon was born in 1997, Drew in 1999 and Kolby in 2001. I loved those kids as if they were my own. Everyone would say, "Just wait until you have your own child and then you'll know what it's like to love your own." Well, they're right. I've made what seems like 1000 trips to his room to just stare at him. Part of me can't wait for him to grow up so we can have so much fun together and part of me wants him to stay just like this forever.

For your enjoyment, here are a few more pictures of Austin with friends and family:

Brek and Jagger Horn with Austin

Braydon, Drew and Austin

Mark, Shawna and Austin

Glammy and Zaydee and Austin (Shawna's mom and step-dad)

Pops and Austin (Shawna's dad)

More Pictures....

2006-08-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures that give you a better look at what he looks like.

Austin Ford Lavender

2006-08-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well, Austin was born this evening at 6:06 pm. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 20.5" long. He has blue-green eyes and a head full of DARK hair (Shawna has some explaining to do on that one!) Mom and baby are doing great. Here are some pictures. There will be plenty more in the days to follow:

1 Week Away

2006-07-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

This time next week, Shawna and I should be parents. To pass the time, we play golf....in the 100 degree heat! Here's a picture of Shawna taking her cuts. (She shot a 92! Not too bad for a 9-month pregnant woman!)

Life in Abilene

2006-07-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

You think the gangs in Los Angeles and New York get a kick when they read this:

Gang member sentenced on drug charges

ABILENE -- An Abilene man has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison on drug charges. 35-year-old Roberto Rodriguez, AKA ‘Crazy Bob’, plead guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. Rodriguez was arrested by a D-P-S trooper in October of last year...then by Abilene police in November of 2005...both times with meth in his possession. Rodriguez actual sentence is 235 months.

Crazy Bob? Are you kidding me? Could they not come up with something a little more intimidating? What gang was he with, the Freaks? the Preppy's? the Jocks?

Waiting for Austin...

2006-07-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

We are now officially less than three weeks from Shawna's due date. The room is ready, mom and dad are ready and Domino's ready. Here are a couple of pictures of Austin's room:

Yesterday, we went and "interviewed" the pediatrician. How do you interview a pediatrician? What questions do you ask a pediatrician?

"Can I see pictures of your circumcision work?"
"Do you believe in witchcraft for healing?"

Well anyway, I guess we have a lot to learn over the course of Austin's lifetime.

In The Bleachers...

2006-06-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

In The Bleachers is the best cartoon in print. Here are a few of my favorites:

Mark teaching his son....

Mark trying to give his son every advantage possible...

Mark not letting go of his childhood...

Mark after every ACU loss....

Mark convincing Shawna...

Shawna playing golf...

The Tour Championship

2006-06-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

In one of the greatest Saturday Night Live skits ever, Will Farrell and Christopher Walken steal the show as a Blue Oyster Cult member (Farrell) and the famed producer Bruce Dickinson (Walken) in their attempt to record their hit "Don't Fear the Reaper". In the skit, Will Farrell plays the cowbell and really gets into it. Most of the other members get annoyed with the over-zealous cowbell and complain to Dickinson. It's at this point that Christopher Walken delivers the best line (in my opinion) in Saturday Night Live history when he states, "Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription....is more cowbell!"

So how does that statement apply to the title of my Blog? Well, right now, I have a fever! And the only prescription.....is more golf!

I'm hooked! Maybe more than ever. I always get the golf bug in the summer but this year's strain is a little more potent than ever before. I could play every night. The great thing is that I have three other people that like to play as much as I do! Shawna, Kevin Campbell and Garrett Sublette have joined me as weeknight regulars at the great Maxwell Golf Course here in Abilene. We try to get to the course around 5:30 pm (closer to 6:00 for Kevin!), pay the $10.80 super-twilight rate and play until dark. Sometimes we get 18 holes in, sometimes only 15. But we're guaranteed to play until you can't possibly see your ball anymore.

This year, Kevin and Garrett and I have started a summer-long competition we are calling the Tour Championship. It is a head-to-head-to-head competition between the three of us. Any time that we play golf together (all three members must be present), we are competing for a year-end cash prize that will probably also include some kind of trophy (Thanks Garrett!).

We are using the Modified Stableford Scoring System as our means to determine a champion. In this format, each player receives the following points depending on what they score for each hole:

Double Eagle or better: +25 points
Eagle: +15 points
Birdie: +7 points
Par: +2 points
Bogey: 0 points
Double Bogey or worse: -2 points

Through about 3 1/2 rounds of golf so far this month, Garrett leads the competition with 24 points. Kevin and I are tied with 7 points. Shawna is not competing because she will miss a significant amount of time this summer with the delivery of a child. Plus, we'd rather not lose to a girl!

Our competiton will end on the weeknd of September 23 and 24 when we take an end of the year golf trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas where we will play 54 holes of golf in a day and a half.

I'll keep you posted as the summer progresses. In the meantime, I need to see if I can sneak away from the office and go hit a few golf balls in preparation for this weekend's competition.

Tylenol, please!

How 'Bout Them Dallas Mavericks!

2006-05-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

It's over! The Mavericks have finally beaten the San Antonio Spurs in a playoff series. This is like the Red Sox finally catching the Yankees or Phil Mickelson finally capturing his first major championship.

No longer can San Antonio fans refer to Dallas as allas (no D).

No longer can the Spurs continue to play mind games with the Mavericks.

Dallas was the better team in this series. Period. End of discussion.

Dirk Nowitzki was the better player. Period. End of discussion.

Avery Johnson was the better coach. Period. End of discussion.

You can say all you want about their run-and-gun style of offense but it was the defense that made the difference his year.

Move over San Antonio, there's a new Sherriff in town.

Tim, I know you didn't foul him. You never do.

Like I said, I'm sure you didn't foul him!

Keep your chin up boys. There's always next year!

Hey Mike! Wish you had stayed a Dallas Maverick??

"But coach, they're good!"

It's going to be a long offseason for Duncan and Pops!

Happy Mother's Day - Happy Birthday

2006-05-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day. Not only was it Mother's Day but it was also my dad's 60th birthday. I wish I could have spent some time with my parents on this great day but they were in Chicago for the weekend with my sister and her family. Shawna and I will travel to Fort Worth next weekend to celebrate Mother's Day and my dad's birthday. Until then, I hope you both had a great day. You deserve it!

While Shawna and I are not officially parents yet, I was informed by a few people that it was appropriate to honor Shawna on Mother's Day. I looked for something for her while I was in Dallas last week but ended up buying me two new polo shirts and a pair of shorts! I did however get Shawna a portable foot spa for her to soak her feet in and 3 new dvd's to watch. I thought that might be appropriate for a 6 1/2 month pregnant woman. We also went to play golf on Sunday afternoon. And let me tell you, she can still hit a golf ball -- even if her belly is getting in the way a little more than it did last time!

So, Happy Mother's day to the two most special women in my life - Shawna and mom and happy 60th birthday to the best dad a guy could ask for.

What not to say if you are a pilot.....

2006-04-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, I was was travelling back to Abilene from Colorado Springs, CO. The flight from DFW to Abilene was delayed. After almost an hour of waiting, the plane finally showed up and everyone boarded. For those of you that have flown between DFW and Abilene, you've probably experienced the joy of flying in a SAAB 340 prop plane. That was the plane I was on yesterday.

After boarding the plane, the pilot comes on the PA system and says,

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. This is Captain McElroy and I want to apologize for the delay here at DFW airport. This airplane has had a few mecahnical issues of late and we just pulled it out of the shop for this flight. Before allowing you to board the plane, we took it up for a test flight to make sure everything was running smoothly. It looks like everything is functioning properly and we'll have you to Abilene in about 45 minutes. I encourage you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the short flight to Abilene."

Yeah, right!

60th Wedding Anniversary!

2006-04-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

On Friday afternoon, our entire family got together to celebrate my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary. Their actual anniversary was on March 24 but we celebrated on March 31 since this was the only time everyone could get together. It was a great time and a great testament to the enduring love between two people. Thanks Mema and Papa for providing a great example of what true love is supposed to look like!!

Through My Eyes

2006-03-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

For the first time in my life, I noticed every boy I saw yesterday. I had a 5:00 pm haircut appointment and I was about 15 minutes early. So, I made a lap inside the mall of Abilene. Had I wanted to get a cardio workout too, I would have taken off my dress shoes and donned a pair of tennis shoes and walked at a quick pace...much like the 5 or 6 old people I saw. I digress.

Anyway, as I walked through the mall, I paid close attention to every boy I saw - from the smallest child to the high school senior. As I noticed each one of them, I couldn't help but wonder what my soon-to-be baby boy would look and act like when he is their age. The more I walked, the more depressed I became. I kept encountering guys with multiple tattoo's, guys with piercings in places that shouldn't be and guys with shorts that couldn't seem to stay on their hips.

Now I know fashion trends are not what they used to be. So, I got to thinking. What if I were to put myself in their place at that appropriate age? Here's probably what I would have seen:

- The 2006 2nd grader with a buzz cut and jeans with holes in the knees would be replaced by me in 1978 with hair that covered my ears and toughskin jeans with a t-shirt portraying a Texas Rangers decal ironed on the front.

- The 2006 7th grader with baggy clothes and bushy hair would be replaced by me in 1983 with Lee jeans and an OP t-shirt with hair parted down the middle and feathered back.

- The 2006 high school senior with his hat on crooked and an obscene t-shirt would be replaced by me in 1988 with a nasty, dirty University of Kentucky cap (I wore that everywhere I went for a solid year) and a pair of Jams shorts.

Now who knows what the fashion trends will be in 2015 when my boy is in 2nd grade or in 2020 when he is in 7th grade or in 2025 when he's a senior. I know Iwon't be able to influence the fashion trends as he grows up, but I do hope I am able to influence his heart and make him into the kind of man that someday hears the Lord say, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

The Words That Make A Daddy Proud

2006-03-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

...."It's a boy! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!"

The Next Lavender

2006-03-07T08:03:00.000-08:00

With a new baby on the way, everyone always asks me the same question.

"What are you hoping for -- a boy or a girl?"

For the longest time, I've always wanted a boy. I am the last male Lavender in the family so the name dies with me if I'm unable to deliver. However, over the past several years, I've had the priveledge of being around a lot of Shawna's girls on the basketball team. So, I can easily picture my life with a "daddy's girl".

On Friday, March 10, Shawna and I go for our four week check-up and fully expect Dr. Onger to send us over for a sonogram either that day or early next week. It's likely that this time next week we'll know whether we're having a boy or girl. In the meantime, to answer everyone's question, here's my answer: I don't care if it is a boy or a girl. All I want is the following:

-- Please let the baby have his/her mother's good looks

-- Please let the baby have his/her mother's personality

-- Please let the baby have his/her mother's athletic ability

-- Please let the baby have his/her mother's temper

-- Please let the baby have his/her mother's sense of humor

-- Please let the baby have his/her mother's heart

-- Please let the baby have his/her mother's perspective on life

-- Please let the baby have his/her mother's maturity level

-- Please let the baby have his/her mother's smarts

and finally...

-- Please, please, please, please, please let the baby have my teeth!

Happy Birthday Mema

2006-02-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

Today is my Mema's birthday. To be honest, I can't remember how old she is and I know she doesn't either. You see, Mema is suffering from Alzheimer's. She was diagnosed with Alzheimers several years ago but it wasn't until about 18 months ago that it really began to take it's toll on her. In October of 2004, we had to move her into an Alzheimer's Care Center as my grandfather (Papa) and my mom just could not take care of her anymore. While it was a very difficult decision, it was the best decision.

While Mema doesn't remember that today is her birthday, I do. And today, I can't help but think of some of the more memorable times I've spent with her:

-- When I was about 10 years old, I was staying a week with her. After returning from a haircut, she had me call her hairdresser and tell them that they did a sorry job of cutting hair and then I hung up!

-- One time during Christmas, the phone rang and it was a little boy who obviously had the wrong number. He asked how much we were charging for the little puppy dogs. Mema said only $5,000. The little boy, all dejected, just said ok and hung up the phone.

-- The countless times I heard her tell the story of the time, soon after her and Papa were married, that the local church of Christ preacher came over for lunch. Mema was going to fry a chicken and wanted to do it all her self. So, she went outside, grabbed a chicken and attempted to ring it's neck. Unfortuantely, all she ever did was make the chicken very dizzy!

-- And maybe my favorite story of all time is the time is when her and her sisters were sitting in church (wooden pews) and the man at the end of the pew "cut loose" and the rumble made it all the way to the end of the pew. She says they all laughed uncontrolably for the rest of the service!

I know where I get my sense of mischief from! Thanks Mema.

While you don't know today is a special day, I do. And I have enough memories to last me a lifetime. Happy birthday! I love you!

Mark

Just Call Me Nathan "Buffalo Butt" Bookman

2006-02-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

Last night, after watching the ACU Wildcat baseball team go 1-0 on the young season, I headed up to Sam Thomas Elementary School for the first homeowners association meeting of our neighborhood. The purpose of this meeting was to elect officers, form committees, determine the annual dues and get to know everyone in the neighborhood.

Once the meeting started at 7:00 pm, we only had 10 of the 63 households present for the meeting. Now I know people are busy, but why would you choose to live in a neighborhood that you know has a homeowners association but choose not to be involved? My comment to those who chose not to attend: Don't complain about the decisions that were made because you had the opportunity to voice your opinion and chose not to.

Now for the reason I am blogging about this. During the meeting, we were forming committees to be responsible for certain jobs in the neighborhood. Somehow, I was nominated and asked to chair the maintenance committee for Oldham Forbes. Are you kidding me? Me, the maintenance chair? I can barely figure out how to set my own sprinkler system. I even sometimes get confused between the flathead and phillips screwdriver. The flathead is the flat one, right?

They say there's very little to do. I need to make sure the company responsible for mowing the common areas does so every week and that the lawn care people spray for weeds a few times each year and that the sprinkler system is working correctly and running on the right watering days.

I am also responsible for making sure that the flags are displayed on holidays like flag day, 4th of July, President's day, etc and that the Christmas decorations are out for the Christmas holidays. Now that's a job I know I can do...especially if it calls for a trip to Linens-N-Things or Bed, Bath and Beyond!

General Observation

2006-01-24T07:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon I went to the Texas Department of Public Safety to take the last two written tests so that I could obtain my Class B - CDL License. This morning I went and took the driving test. I am now officially licensed to drive the big ACU bus.

Here's my observation/question: What is it about the DPS that brings out the scum of the earth? Yesterday, there were two guys wearing t-shirts that were completetly out of line for public exposure. I'd tell you what they said but my mom reads this blog!

This morning, a man in his early 30's that had not showered or shaved in days (maybe weeks), let loose with a string of obscenities that would have embarrassed Howard Stern.

Now I know I'm no angel, but in comparison to 99.9% of everyone else in the building, I think you could see my wings.

An Open Letter to David MacSmith

2006-01-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

Chances are you do not know David MacSmith. Neither do I. However, we both spent this past Saturday evening in Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium on the campus of Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. How do I know this? Because Mr. MacSmith felt compelled to send my wife an email yesterday afternoon pointning out everything the ACU Wildcats did wrong in the game. Evidentally, this guy is an accomplished critic of college basketball.

Shawna sent me a copy of the email just to see if I had ever heard of the guy. I looked in the ACU alumni database only to find no record of him anywhere. I typed his name in Yahoo and found out he is an artist that went to ACU and Ohio State University. Evidentally, David MacSmith is his "stage name". I'm trying to take the high road here and not send a reply directly to Mr. MacSmith. So, I'm letting him know how I feel through my Blog. While Shawna doesn't let this bother her, it bugs the fire out of me. Just call me an over-protective husband!

Dear Mr. MacSmith, January 10, 2006

It has come to my attention that you watched the ACU - Southeastern Oklahoma State women's game on Saturday evening in Durant, Oklahoma. I know this because my wife received an email from you yesterday afternoon criticizing her coaching decisions. First of all, let me state that as a fan, you have every right to comment on the play of any team you choose to root for. However, what really chaps me is that you have chosen to critique my wife's abilities and coaching style after watching only your second game of the season (you state you were also at the ACU - Texas A&M Commerce game on December 3).

In your email, you were critical of our "one-dimensional offense -- try to get the ball into the post and if that doesn’t work take a free-lance desperation shot." I'll be the first to admit that we did not play our best game of the season on Saturday. However, that exact same offense worked to perfection only two days before when we beat East Central University in Oklahoma 82-78. In that game, ACU shot a season best 56.9% from the field, including 10 of 17 from three-point range for 58.8%. Our post players, who you were highly critical of in your email, accounted for 44 points on 18 of 30 shooting (60%).

You stated that the offense ACU chooses to run is not as effective as it was several years ago when we had two dominate post players. I assume you are talking about Melanie Carter and Lynsie Blau. Where were you last year when we used this same offense, with the same players as this year to deliver ACU's first 20 win season and a trip to the Regional tournament in 7 years? Why didn't we hear from you congratulating us on a great season? Why didn't we hear from you after we knocked off the #12 team in the nation - Angelo State - both at home and on the road last year? Why didn't we hear from you when we went to Northeastern State University and beat the LSC North's #1 team in overtime in perhaps one of the greatest games ACU's ever played? Why didn't we hear from you when we went to Tarleton State and played in front of 3,000 drunk idiots in a hostile environment to win huge road playoff game by 13 points?

My momma always told me that if you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all. I guess yor momma didn't teach you that. Do you really think Shawna is going to use your mindless email to change her coaching techniques? What point were you trying to prove? Deep down I feel like I proabbly know as much about painting (your field of art) as you do about basketball. With that said, why don't you keep your comments to yourself from here on out. You say you are going to try to make it to the ACU - Texas Woman's game in Denton on January 28. I was able to find your picture on a web site displaying some of your artwork. I'll be looking for you at that game.

Sincerely,

Mark Lavender

P.S. I really think your choice of painting mostly landscapes is too one-dimensional. Maybe you should branch out a bit and try portraits or abstracts. I also hear they are doing some amazing things with clay these days.......

August 5, 2006

2005-12-28T21:37:00.000-08:00

In approximately 222 days, my life will change forever. On or near August 5, 2006, Shawna and I will welcome the newest addition to the Lavender household. And no, we're not getting another dog! Shawna is pregnant!

More details to follow. Needless to say, the soon-to-be grandma's and grandpa's were very happy!

And oh yeah, please pray that this baby takes after Shawna and not me. I'm going to need that if he/she is to receive an athletic scholarship someday!

Tagged - My Top 7

2005-12-15T08:34:00.000-08:00

I was tagged this morning by Craig Fisher. My task: answer the following questions with a list of 7.

List 7 things to do before I die:
1. Celebrate a Texas Rangers World Series Championship
2. Celebrate a Dallas Mavericks NBA Championship
3. Celebrate an ACU Women's Basketball NCAA National Championship
4. Father a child (with Shawna, of course)
5. Become the "official" Director of Basketball Operations at ACU
6. Play golf at Augusta National Golf Course
7. Make a hole-in-one

List 7 things I cannot (or will not) do:
1. Make a hole-in-one (have you seen me hit my irons??)
2. Become a vegetarian
3. Let the gas tank get below 1/4 full
4. Skydive
5. Become a handy man around the house
6. Shoot a deer
7. Ever give the referees the benefit of the doubt

List 7 things that attract me to my spouse:
1. Her ability to put up with my ever decreasing maturity level!
2. Her gorgeous smile
3. Her incredible figure
4. Her stomping her feet in a basketball game
5. Her love for God
6. Her look as she sleeps
7. Her ability to look hot when dressed down

List 7 things I say most often:
1. "Three Seconds!"
2. "Moving Screen!"
3. "Let's go Cats -- D up!"
4. "Why didn't you do/play ______ in the game?"
5. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"
6. "Where do you want to eat?"
7. "You're right, I'm sorry!"

List 7 books or series that I love: (Very tough b/c I don't read)
1. John Grisham novels
2. Max Lucado books
3. Fantasy Football magazines
4. Sports Illustrated
5. ACU Media Guides
6. The Bible
7. Do Blogs count?

List 7 movies I would watch over and over again:
1. Top Gun
2. Spies Like Us
3. Dodgeball
4. Anchorman - The Legend of Ron Burgandy
5. Million Dollar Baby
6. Sixteen Candles
7. The Natural

List 7 people I would love to join in:
1. Garrett Sublette (just to see what he says about section #3)
2. Jarod Cox (ditto)
3. Sarah Campbell (ditto, again!)
4. Andy Luster
5. Brandon Stover
6. Kimberly Holmes
7. David Pittman

The 52 Days That Were.....

2005-12-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

A few people have gotten on to me for not posting for such a long time. It's partly because I have been pretty busy the last several weeks and partly because I have not been inspired to write anything insightful. When I don't post new information to my blog, I also usually don't read other people's blogs as much either. However, today I pulled up Chris Campbell's blog and started reading his diary of a bachelor. I figured if he can write about the mundane parts of his everyday life, I could at least post something to my blog. So, for the first time in 52 days, here is a new blog from the life of Mark Lavender.....and no, not that Mark Lavender (special thanks to Corey Patterson for finding that web site last week!)

Since I last posted a blog, here are a few things that have been going on in my life:

Shawna's grandfather passed away on November 16 in Deming, NM. What an incredible man. While I only knew him for 5 years and was only around him 3 or 4 times during that 5 years, I can truly say that "Grandpa" was a great person. He left behind a beautiful and loving wife, 4 children and 6 grandchildren. Shawna and I were privileged to perform his service on November 21 in Deming. What an honor to be asked to speak at his funeral.

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From November 17 through December 3 (16 days) I traveled over 4000 miles.
-- November 17 - 19 -- Abilene to Austin and back for a basketball tournament
-- November 20 - 22 -- Abilene to Deming, NM for Grandpa's funeral
-- November 22 - 26 -- Abilene to Fort Worth for Thanksgiving
-- November 28 - 29 -- Abilene to San Antonio for a basketball game
-- November 30 - 30 -- Abilene to Fort Worth to see my sister from Minnesota
-- December 02 - 03 -- Abilene to Commerce, TX for a basketball game

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Basketball season is in full gear. We're currently sitting at 4-3 for the season. We should be at the worst 5-1 but I guess that's why you play the games. Here's a breakdown:

-- ACU beat Incarnate Word 73-51
-- ACU lost to St. Edwards 66-54 (we had a 12 point lead with 5:00 to play and lost)
-- ACU lost to NW Missouri State 79-78 in OT (we lost on a basket w/ .24 seconds on the clock)
-- ACU beat Incarnate Word 66-44
-- ACU lost to Texas A&M Commerce 70-66 (we had a 3 point lead with 2:00 to play and lost)
-- ACU beat Central Oklahoma 66-64
-- ACU beat Northeastern State (OK) 64-57 (Norhteastern State was the LSC #1 North team)

We play Angelo State on Friday afternoon at 3:00 before leaving for Billings, MT for 2 games. If you have not already, you can check out my web site that I created to keep parents and ex-players informed -- acuwildcats.com

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Fantasy Football is winding up. Shawna is thrilled! I am in the playoffs and am tied going into tonights Falcons-Saints game. I have Alge Crumpler and Donte Stallworth and my opponent has Warrick Dunn and the Falcons defense. I know Shawna is really wanting me to lose so we can start going to late service on Sunday mornings and go to an occasional Sunday afternoon matinee instead of parking myself in front of the computer and tv for 6 straight hours.

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I've made a wager with a few players on the team that if they win their next 3 games (vs. Angelo State, St. Martin's (WA), and Montana State-Billings, I would wear an awful (and I do mean awful) Christmas sweater home on the airplane from Montana. This sweater could only be appreciated by a 65 year old kindergarten teacher (no offense to any 65 year old kindergarten teacher that might read this blog!). I'm looking forward to wearing it proudly!

Well that's about it for me. If I continue my postings at my current rate, you'll hear from me next on February 2.

A Busy Month!

2005-10-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a full month since my last post. Things have been crazy hectic this month. I spent most of two weeks on the road with trips to Dallas and East Texas and then on to Deming, New Mexico to celebrate Shawna's grandad's 80th birthday. That was a bittersweet time because her grandad is also very ill with emphysema. He is on hospice care and is not expected to live much longer. While it was a very quick trip, it was a blessing to spend time with everyone since we all realize that our next time together will probably not be as joyous.

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Oh yeah....you can throw homecoming into the mix of everything that happened in the past month. What a beating. While I enjoy the opportunity to see friends and classmates, it is also one of the busiest times for me and prevents me from spending the amount of time I would like to with everyone.

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Do Texas Tech fans really think they have a chance to beat UT this weekend? Wasn't it just one year ago when all those Red Raider fans were chomping at the bit to play Texas in Lubbock? In case you forgot, the final score of that game was 51-21. Tech might be lucky to keep this game that close. Vince Young will have his way here. I'm predicting UT to win in a 56-18 blowout. I'll be there on the 45 yard line in my burnt orange!

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Continuing with sports, I'm actually excited about the World Series. I know the tvnetworks wanted to see either the Yankees, Red Sox or Cardinals in the series but I am excited about the Astros. I usually do not root for in-state rivals (Astros, Rockets, Spurs or Texans) but there's something about the Astros that remind me of my beloved Rangers. Give me the Astros and a world championship in 6 games.

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Only 24 more days before my world is turned upside down. This year, ACU women's basketball has been picked to finish #1 in the Lone Star Conference in the preseason polls as well as the preseason player of the year in senior post player Jamie Lord-Boles. Shawna would prefer to receive that recognition after the season. I think they will.

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I would like to thank Cox Cable and KRBC (NBC) for finally agreeing to a new contract yesterday. It has been since January 1 that I have been able to watch NBC at home.

My Personal Wellness Profile

2005-09-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, as part of ACU's insurance procedures, I completed a Wellness Profile through Hendrick Health Systems. I've done this every September for about 10 years. Compared to last year, I improved in every category (Coronary Risk, Cancer Risk, Fitness Status, Stress Status, Substance Abuse and Safety Status) except one (Nutritions Status).

One general observation:

1. I improved in Substance Abuse - How is that possible? I don't abuse substances - now or ever. That baffles me unless you consider "substance" a Cranberry Shmirnoff every once in a while. And if that's the case, I probably should have gone down in that category.

However, it was no surprise at all that my nutrition status decreased this year. I eat out almost every meal. So, that got me thinking. When I eat out, I almost always eat the exact same thing. So, I thought I would compile a list of restaurants and what I always get to eat when I go there.

Arbys - #7 with curly fries and a dr. pepper.

Brick Oven Pizza - Bubba's Choice personal pan pizza and a dr. pepper.

Chili's - Either the grilled shrimp alfredo or the chicken fajita nachos. Always chips and hot sauce. Sometimes queso. Sprite.

Quizno's - Small mesquite chicken with bacon sandwich or the classic italian and a dr. pepper.

Whataburger - #5 with fries and a dr. pepper.

Harvest Moon or Panda Express - Sweet and sour chicken with fried rice and a dr. pepper.

Chicken Express - Student special, fries and a dr. pepper.

Subway - Cold cut trio (lettuce, onion, spicy mustard and salt-n-pepper) with pepperjack doritos and a dr. pepper.

Lytle Land and Cattle - Chicken Tenders with cream gravy or grilled chicken, sweet potato with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar and a dr. pepper.

Chick-fil-A - 10 piece nuggets, waffle fries and a dr. pepper.

Betty Roses - Small turkey plate with red beans and cole slaw and a dr. pepper. Sometime banana pudding for dessert.

Outback - Queensland chicken-n-shrimp witha caesar salad and a sprite.

Abuelos, El Chico's, Enrique's, Rosa's, Los Arcos or any other mexican food restaurant on the planet - Two cheese enchilada's (no onions), rice and beans......and an occassional margarita!

Is there any wonder my nutrition status went down this year??? If we are eating together at one of these restaurants and you get there before me, please feel free to order for me!

The Real "America's Team"

2005-09-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Intramurals are a huge part of college life. On any given Monday, Tuesday or Thursday night, you will find hundreds of ACU students on the ACU intramural fields playing and/or watching flag football. There are some pretty incredible athletes at ACU.

However, there are no teams that have the kind of dominance over the rest of the field like the rag-tag group of female employees and coaches that make up the defending champions. Actually, to be more correct, the defending champions in 8 of the last 9 years.

The names may change from year to year as people come and go. Some don't come back because they leave ACU to work elsewhere. Some leave because their knees just can't take the punishment any longer and some because they're having babies! But no one leaves because they get tired of playing.

The 2005 season started on Monday night. On Tuesday, Second Wind took the field in defense of their title. The opposition: The Women of Delta Theta. The DT's are known to have some of the better female athletes on campus.

The DT's received the opening kick-off and after several plays, turned the ball over on downs. Second Wind took the ball on about their own 20 and after one play, the score was 7-0. After a quick DT turover, Second Wind took two plays to make it 14-0. Another DT turnover and one offensive play by Second Wind and the score was 21-0. Then came halftime.

You would think halftime would be a time to discuss strategy. Not with these ladies. Instead, they took the time to INTRODUCE themselves to each other! You see, Second Wind does not practice, they do not draw up plays, they do not arrive to the game 30 minutes early. They simply show up and play.

This year is the 10th year for this group of ladies to play flag football. To my knowledge, they have only lost one game in 9+ years (the championship game several years ago). And maybe even more unbelievable is the fact that they have only been scored on 3 or 4 times in 9+ years.

It's amazing to me how these ladies (some in their 40's!!) can consistently trounce a bunch of 18-22 year old girls who should be in their prime. It's all about heart and fun. And isn't that the morale to most things in life? Play, work, study, etc. with heart and have fun and you will accomplish great things.

Oh yeah, the final score from Tuesday night: 35-0.

Tomorrow

2005-09-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow might just be the most important day of 2005. Tomorrow might be the day that determines my level of happiness over the next 18 weeks. Tomorrow is the day I have been preparing for for the last 34 weeks. Tomorrow is.........the beginning of Fantasy Football Season!!

Tomorrow is also Shawna's least favorite day of the year. Tomorrow....all is right in the world again!

Please Pray!

2005-08-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

AUGUST 29

I am asking for all of you that read this blog to pray for a friend of mine. Klint Pleasant was the ACU men's basketball coach for three years. With Shawna as the women's coach, I got to know Klint and Rachel fairly well. Klint resigned last summer to take a position in administration at Rochester College in Michigan to be closer to family after the birth of their daughter.

Last week, Klint and Rachel learned that Rachel has a malignant tumor on her brain that has already effected her vision. Rachel is scheduled for surgery on Thursday. You can read about Rachel on Klint's Blog.

Prayer is powerful and this family needs to be lifted in prayer to our Father.

AUGUST 30 - UPDATE 9:50 AM

It has been determined that Rachel does not have a tumor - rather some sort of lesion that was bleeding on her brain. Yesterday, Rachel had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. She underwent emergency surgery yesterday and is curently in critical condition. Thank you for remembering this family in your prayers!

Bees!!

2005-08-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

I received a call this morning from Rob Cunningham, one of our elders at Highland and my neighbor from right around the corner. Here's our conversation:

Rob: Hey Mark, this is Rob Cunningham.

Mark: Hey Rob, how are you doing?

Rob: Great. I am calling to let you know that Bob Boyer, the gentleman that mows my yard and several of the yards in the neighborhood just showed me a very interesting site in your yard.

Mark: OK (nervously)

Rob: Mark, there are a ton of bees nesting in your tree in your front yard. I have never seen that many bees before except on TV. I thought you should know about it before you or someone walks around the yard and gets swarmed.

Well, I hung up and made a bee-line (ha-ha!) for the house. Before I could even turn into our circle, you could see the bees in the tree. Un"bee"lievable. Below are a couple of pictures.

I called the pest control and they told me they were probably travelling and just used my tree to stop and rest and that they would "buzz" off within 2-10 hours...or 2 days at the latest. He was right. About 11:30 this morning, after I had headed back to work, Bob Boyer said they all rose out of the tree, hovered like a helicopter for 10 seconds, and took off. I learned a lot today about bees. A much different lesson than the one my dad taught me that also included birds!

On a side note, Bob Boyer said he was concerned that me or my daughter or my dog might get stung. Is that a compliment to Shawna for looking so young or a diss on me for looking that old!!

The Simple Life

2005-08-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

I like order in my life. I really don't care for surprises. I want to know what to expect each and every day. I am a creature of habit. With that said, here's a sampling into my simple life:

1. I wake up every morning at 5:50 am. Mostly by choice, but sometimes because Domino, our "miniature" dalmatian is ready to eat breakfast.

2. My idea of working out is 50 - 60 minutes on an eliptical machine.

3. I always have either a protein shake or oatmeal for breakfast.

4. I eat almost every lunch (Monday - Friday) with my boyfriends -- as Shawna likes to call them.

5. Tuesday is DQ day. For at least 2 years, we eat at the DQ on I-20 and Ambler. They know us by name and give us randomly large discounts. Their new chile lime chicken strips rock. I am a member of the Blizzard Fan Club.

6. 9:00 pm on Wednesdays used to be 42 night. That lasted for about 4 years. The last 2+ years have been poker night. We took the summer off and I miss it.

7. I read all my friends BLOGs as soon as I turn on my computer in the morning.

These are just a few of the routines in my life. So, you may ask yourself, what prompted me to share that with you. Well, last night, we had our yearly home run hitting contest at Zeta Wells field (ACU's Softball Field). There's just no better feeling than watching the ball sail over the left field fence and dissappear into the darkness on the other side or hearing it crash into the scoreboard with a loud clank! It's just one of those times when I feel like a kid again.

One things for sure about last night. I don't think anyone who witnessed our performance will ask us to submit to random drug testing for steroids!

Simple but fun....just the way I like it.

Vegas and a few random sports thoughts....

2005-08-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday morning, Shawna and I, along with our friends Kevin and Sarah Campbell, headed to Las Vegas for four days and three nights of fun. This was a time to rest and relax and unwind from a very busy summer. Shawna had been on the road for almost 6 straight weeks and Sarah spent the summer travelling all over the country while leading the Highland Youth group as our feerless youth minister.

While in Vegas, we took in three shows: Zumanity and Mystere, both Cirque du Soleil shows along with Blue Man Group. On Thursday morning, Shawna and Sarah spent the better half of the morning being pampered in the Mandalay Bay Spa with massages and steams while Kevin and I parked ourselves in the Race and Sports Book watching and betting on baseball games.

After returning home, I read this article stating that the Las Vegas casino industry won a record 11 billion dollars from gamblers in fiscal 2005 and a record 954.2 million dollars in June alone -- an 11.7% gain over the same month in 2004. I'm just glad I could do my part to contribute to the record winnings by the casinos. It would have been more -- much more -- had Shawna not been there to oversee my gamblings.

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Congratulations to Phil Mickelson on winning another major -- the 2005 PGA Championship. Now maybe Tiger actually has some competition.

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My Texas Rangers may not be playing well but at least I'm not a Kansas City Royals fan! 16 losses in a row and counting.........

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So long Michael Findley (Billy Ocean). Thanks for the memories. While I agree it was the best thing to let you go, why did we have to sign Doug Christie?!?

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Did anyone see that the Rams were only -3.5 for opening weekend against the 49ers? That's some sweet action..easy money..help me Shawna!

Time to turn this mother out......

2005-07-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

Isn't that what all DJ's say before they start playing their music? I need your help! I am responsible for putting together a few cd's of music that can be played during the women's basketball games at ACU this year. Last year, we had several complaints (rightfully so!) on some of the music that was being played. So, I'm doing something about it. The only problem is that there could not be a more ill-equipped person to find and burn music than yours truly. I mean, I don't think George Strait and Air Supply songs will really get the crowd fired up!

Please list for me some songs that are upbeat and fun (yet clean!) that I can burn. Please list both the song and the artist. It does not matter what genre the music comes from just so long as it's good. Here's a few examples I have so far:

Foreigner - Hot Blooded
Eagles - Heartache Tonight and Start me Up
John Mellencamp - Hurst so Good
Nickelback - Someday
Loverboy - Loving Every Minute of It
Black Crowes - Hard to Handle
Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go
Kool and the Gang - Celebration

I need some that would be good for timeouts and deadballs during the game and then some that would be good to play after a victory (Hence - Celebration). Thanks!

How and Why......

2005-07-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon, I leave for a 3-day conference in Chicago and then travel on to Minnesota to visit my sister and brother-in-law and my three nephews who just moved there 4 months ago. I cannot wait to see them all as I miss them more than I thought I would before they left. When I'm around my nephews, I often hear many how and why questions. I guess that's just the development of young minds.

However, over the past few days, I've found myself asking several how and why questions too. One of my anticipations of getting to heaven is having the opportunity to ask God my share of how and why questions. Here are some of the questions I've pondered lately -- some serious, others definitley not!

How:
-- How do airplanes stay in the air?
-- How did I ever live without the internet?
-- How come the Rangers can never have both good starting and relief pitching in the same year?
-- How come we cannot find a cure for cancer?
-- How come we cannot find a cure for alzheimers?
-- How does President Bush keep his cool in the midst of all the terrorist bombings?
-- How does corn pop into popcorn?
-- How will my fantasy football team do this year?

Why:
-- Why don't I save more money?
-- Why do I have a love/hate relationship with golf?
-- Why does my grandmother have to have alzheimers?
-- Why does my grandfather have to have 4 broken vertebrae in his back?
-- Why don't I tell my wife I love her more than I already do?
-- Why do I BLOG when I'm the only person that really reads my BLOG?
-- Why does my house stay constantly dirty even though it's only me and Shawna?
-- Why does a 50+ year old wife/mother have to be diagnosed with dementia?
-- Why does a young single mother have a husband that leaves her and then finds out she has cancer?
-- Why did Jesus die for me?

Blah, Blah, Blah....

2005-06-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

10 random thoughts......

We went to Tarleton State for the first round of the LSC playoffs and won by 14 points. The Plowboys were drunk, called us a bunch of dirty names and then they went home and we kept playing. That's a bitter and twisted group! (Sorry, but I got bored with my basketball stories)

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Why does everyone always get so excited about Taco Tuesday at Rosa's? They discount their tacos by $1.50 and you would think you were getting them for free. Now granted, I'll buy them for the discounted rate too. Marketing genius I guess...

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I've been to a couple of Ranger games this year and I just don't understand the wave. Why do fans get so excited about the wave? It's annoying and stupid! Next biggest annoying ballpark activity....the tomahawk chop by the Braves.

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I'm trying to lose about 12 more pounds. I've lost about 10 so far. Yesterday, all I had to eat was fruit. Bananas, apples, a couple of fruit cups. Bad idea. Very bad idea.

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I hate theme parks. I guess growing up near Six Flags will do that to you.

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My sister had an Easy Bake Oven and I would secretly make mini cakes when my parents and sister were not at home.

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There's a bird's nest right outside our bedroom window. All the baby birds flew away yesterday and I missed it. I'm sad about that.

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Why do they call Wheaties the "breakfast of champions"? Give me cheerios anyday. But then again, I guess that's why I'm not a good golfer.

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Greatest baseball movie of all times...Field of Dreams.

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In baseball, everyone plays with a glove on their hand. Then why do they call it a catcher's mitt instead of a catcher's glove?

Shawna, I'm a coach too!

2005-06-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

If you've ever played fantasy football, then you'll know what I'm feeling and thinking with this post. It was sometime last fall and I was spending a typical Sunday afternoon running back and forth from the television in the living room to the computer in the study to check my fantasy football team stats. I was getting frustrated as I watched Chris Brown hobble off the field for the umpteenth time while his backup kept getting all the goal line touches. The more I watched, the madder I got.

What happened next is as clear as if it had happened 5 minutes ago. The Eagles had first and goal at the 1 yard line. Having both Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook, I was assured of scoring at least one touchdown, and maybe two. The Eagles come to the line of scrimmage and hand off. But, much to my frustration, they give the ball to Dorsey Levens for the easy score. I am livid! I'm screaming at the tv as if I am the head coach and my team is not playing to their potential.

Shawna, laying on the couch, is trying to sleep between my occasional outbursts. Finally having enough, she tells me to quit acting like a child. She says, "It's not like you are the coach and can control what play they run!"

Well, before I can think, I reply: "I am the coach of my fantasy football team just like you're the coach of your basketball team. You get upset when your team doesn't play well and I get upset when my team doesn't play well."

Note to self: Never compare your relationship with your fantasy football team to Shawna's relationship with her basketball team!

My side of the bed sure was cold the next few nights!

Next blog: Sticking it to the Plowboys!

Jumping Jack Flash in a Sea of Green!

2005-06-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

December 13, 2004 --

We're off to the place I least like to play -- Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Not that Tahlequah is a bad town or anything. It's just so far away from home. We usually play games on Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons. But, because of finals, we were forced to play this 2-game roadtrip on Saturday afternoon and Monday night. We lost the first game of the roadtrip to Central Oklahoma 84-81. We were up 4 at the half but tanked in the second half. Needless to say, momma was not happy that weekend. On top of that, we had to travel to Tahlequah to play Northeastern State University (NSU), the #1 team in the LSC North. We had a little revenge on our mind since they knocked us out of the LSC playoffs the year before on a last second shot. Heartbreaking!

NSU (their school colors are green and white -- hence the title sea of green) plays in a very small gym, very similar to a small airplane hanger. 1000 people is about all it can hold. They have great fan support and a band that makes the place deafening.

When the game started, we came out flat. The loss 2 days ago to Central Oklahoma and the upcoming Christmas break seemed to have us distracted. NSU led by as many as 10 points before settling for a 42-36 halftime lead.

In the second half, we never let their lead grow as we continued to chip away. ACU pulled even at 53-53 with 11:11 to play in the game. From there, both teams traded buckets before NSU made a couple of free throws to go up 2 points with :56 seconds left on the clock. We missed a basket as did NSU. This gave ACU the ball back with :16 seconds to play down 2 points. After a timeout by ACU, we ran a play that could give us either a shot by a post player to tie the game or a 3-pointer to take the lead. We worked the ball down low but they completely smothered our post players. Thankfully, Stephanie Riles kicked it back out to Alex Guiton (freshman) for a wide-open 3-pointer.....splash! With 4.1 seconds to play, ACU has the lead 76-75. NSU inbounded the ball and their guard took the ball the length of the floor and tried a desperation off-balanced layup as the buzzer sounded. No good! But wait, the referee has blown his whistle! Unbelievable!! Reach-in foul on #24 Stephanie Riles. NSU's best free throw shooter will get two shots to win the game. I am completely beside myself. Cara Buson steps to the line and misses her first shot. Whew. Now, the best NSU can do is send the game to overtime. Cara makes the second shot and we'll play 5 more minutes.

Overtime begins and NSU scores the first 4 points of the game. ACU battles back to tie the game at 82-82 with :36 seconds to play. NSU has the ball and the opportunity to run out most of the clock before taking their last shot. With :13 seconds left in overtime, ACU is whistled for a foul and NSU will get two free throws. They make them both to take a 84-82 lead. ACU gets the ball to halfcourt and calls a timeout. We have :9.1 seconds to try and score. Shawna draws up the same play that sent the game to overtime. We'll try to tie the score and go to a second overtime, or we'll try to win it on a 3-pointer. After nearly throwing the ball away on the inbounds pass, Meredith Doyle takes the ball and tries to drive to the basket. Realizing she cannot get there, she jumps, turns and fires the ball to Ashlee Barr (freshman) who's standing 1 1/2 feet behind the 3-point line. She gets the ball and with less than a second to play, rips a shot that hits absolutely nothing but net. ACU wins the most exciting game I have ever seen 85-84.

So, how do I factor into all of this? Being that this game was on a Monday night and 5 hours away from the DFW metroplex and 8 hours from Abilene, I was the only ACU fan in attendance. Each game, the home team is required to tape the game and provide the visitors with a copy of the game. I was sitting in the first row directly behind the ACU bench. Both 3-pointers (Alex's to send the game to overtime and Ashlee's to win the game) happened right in front of the ACU bench. So naturally, the camera caught my reactions to both shots. I'm not kidding you. I looked like a 5 year old at Christmas getting that shiney new bicycle he always wanted. I was jumping up and down uncontrolably. I was so out of control that I nearly passed out. It's completely embarrasing.

It's time like these when I wonder how I will react when we win the Lone Star Conference tournament. I hope to find out sometime very soon!

Next Blog: Shawna, I'm a coach too!

Umm, Can I Take That Back?

2005-05-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

Several have asked about some of the predicaments I have found myself in during my time supporting ACU basketball (See post)

So, I've decided to dedicate my next few blogs to exactly that. We'll start off with the one most people like to (and still do) talk about:

The date was February 26, 2004. The ACU women found themselves in the hunt for first place in the Lone Star Conference South with arch-enemy #1 in town for a crucial late season matchup. ACU entered the game 17-8 on the season and 9-3 in LSC South play. West Texas A&M (WTAMU) was 22-3 on the year and 10-2 in LSC South play. A win by ACU would likely give us 1st place and allow us to host the LSC post-season tournament.

WTAMU jumped on us early and led the entire first half. Holding a 6 point halftime lead, WTAMU came out and scored the first 4 points of the second half to go up by 10. After a quick timeout, the Wildcats finally started to play. Over the next 4 minutes, ACU would outscore WTAMU 14-2 to take a 2 point lead. On more than one occasion, I found myself on the playing floor screaming and cheering as we made our run. (Note - I never actually went onto the court - only the baseline behind the bench)

The last 15 minutes of the game were crazy with emotions high on both sides. WTAMU actually grew their lead back to 8 points with only 2:30 left to play. It didn't look good for ACU. However, a free throw, 3-pointer and layup would pull ACU to within 2 with 21 seconds to play. Being out of timeouts, WTAMU inbounded the ball and we were desperately trying to foul to stop the clock. ACU fouled WTAMU at least twice but the refs would not give us a break. They allowed the game to continue.

As an ACU player raced over in an attempt to foul a WTAMU player and stop the clock, the WTAMU threw the ball out of bounds. Of course, I am going crazy as we will now have the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead with 10 seconds left to play. But out of nowhere, the whistle blows and the referee calls a phantom foul on ACU. I am out of control. I am screaming at the ref from directly behind the bench. I cannot believe what has just happened.

So, WTAMU gets two free throws. They make the first and miss the second. We rebound the ball, run it up the court and fire a game tying 3-pointer at the buzzer. It's on the way, it looks good, and.....

In anticipation of ACU sending the game to overtime, I am now on the floor beside the bench ready to high-five the players. Now back to the action.

It's on the way, it looks good, and.....clank. The ball hits the front of the rim and the game is over. My anticipated jubilee now turns to rage. I'm still furious at the ref for the horrible call at the end of the game. Without even knowing what I'm doing, I race on to the court chasing after the referee that blew the call. I get about 6 or 7 steps onto the court (I have to dodge from running into the WTAMU assistant coach) when all of the sudden, Shawna grabs me with all her strength and yanks me off the court. It's at this time that I realize where I am and what I am doing. I make my way back to my seat. My good friend and co-worker, Chris Campbell tries to calm me down.

This past fall, about 8 months after this incident, the ACU Volleyball team is playing WTAMU in Canyon. In a casual conversation between ACU's head volleyball coach, Brek Horn, and WTAMU's head volleyball coach, the WTAMU caoch asked Brek if she was at the game where the crazy husband of ACU's basketball coach stormed the floor. That story is still being told all over the LSC.....unfortunately.

The next morning, I decided I better make sure I still have a job. I walked over to Dr. Gary McCaleb's office (VP over athletics) and Jared Mosley (athletic director) to apologize. To my relief, they both found it somewhat amusing and were both a little curious what would have happened had Shawna not grabbed me. Me too guys, me too.

And oh yeah. To Chris Campbell. I still hold you partly responsible for this whole ordeal. You were sitting next to me and could have kept me from making a fool of myself!

Next Blog -- Jumping Jack Flash in a Sea of Green!

Don't Miss the Cheerios of Life!

2005-05-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Most mornings, I fix myself a bowl of cereal and take it to the study to read the latest happenings on espn.com, look to see if there are any new posts by fellow bloggers I need to read and see what the weather will be like for that afternoon.

As I make my cereal, I almost always fill it to the top with cheerios. Once I add the milk, the cheerios begin spilling over the top. As I carry the bowl to the study, Domino (my over-weight, always hungry "miniature" Dalmatian) is right on my heels. She knows she'll get to drink the last bit of milk out of the bowl once I am finished.

So, where am I going with this? Domino almost always misses the individual cheerios that fall to the floor as I walk to the study because she is so focused on the bowl of milk that I will put on the ground in a few minutes. This morning, I realized that sometimes this is how I live my life. I tend to only focus on the end result (maybe that result is as simple as the end of the work day or my final score after a round of golf) all the while, I'm missing the little things that life keeps dropping at my feet.

So, don't stay so focused on the bowl of milk that you miss the cheerios of life that are scattered all along the way. Have a great week!

Mark

What is Your Excellent Adventure?

2005-05-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

In 1989, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure hit the movie screens telling the story of two high school flunkies who have to make an A on their history exam or they will fail out of school. They end up meeting Rufus, who is able to take them back in time to experience history first-hand while bringing some of the characters back to the present to be their spokespersons.

For the last two days, the Alumni Office spent time in a retreat planning for the upcoming year. During our breaks, I would throw out random questions for the group to answer. One of my favorite questions was:

If you could travel back in time to experience one day in biblical times, which day would you travel to?

For me, I would want to travel back to the day Jesus was crucified. I feel like seeing that first-hand would have such a profound impact in my life, I could not help but have an even closer and stronger relationship with my Lord.

What would your day be?

A Hard Day's Work

2005-05-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

Monday of this week was one of those days where it can be really tough being an alumni outreach officer for ACU. As part of my duties, I am responsible for maintaining relationships with Christian Schools in my territory. So, I was "forced" to play in a 4-person golf scramble at Hollytree Golf Course in Tyler benefitting East Texas Christian Schools.

I went with three of my best friends, Corey Patterson, Kevin Campbell and Garrett Sublette. To say we had fun would be an understatement. For the tournament, we shot 6-under 66. Afterwards, ETCA gave away several door prizes and Corey won a ball retriever...very appropriate.

After the tournament was over, we all headed to Arlington to catch the Texas Rangers play the Detroit Tigers. Because this year will be the second year ACU has put on an alumni event at the ballpark, I had received four free tickets to the game. So, we each paid $2.50 to park and spent a great evening in left field (next to Hank's Homies) betting on what each hitter would do in each at bat. We even bet on what the temperature was at the game, what the attendance was in the ballpark and on the dot race in the bottom of the sixth inning....sorry Chuck Morgan!

During the drive from Tyler to Arlington and Arlington to Abilene, we played sports trivia where I would give Corey, Kevin and Garrett the opportunity to name 6 out of the top 10 in AL ERA, NL ERA, AL Batting Average and NL Batting Average. We also played a little Dallas Mavericks - Houston Rockets opening round playoff trivia too. The three of them had opportunities to win money and prizes from me if they did well. When they did do well (I was down almost $20 to each of them) I reverted to a little Class 4A softball trivia. Needless to say, we ended up even-steven.

All-in-all, it was a great day. At times, work can be dull and tiresome. But days like Monday can make it all worth while. To Corey, Kevin and Garrett -- thanks for making Monday a great day.

And oh yeah, what's said in the car, stays in the car!

4 Years Already!

2005-05-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, Shawna and I leave for 5 days in Malibu. While we are there, we will celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary (May 5, Cinco de Mayo). It's hard to believe that the past four years have gone by so quickly...at least for me. Shawna may argue with that!

While there will be plenty of work (ACU business) to do over the next 5 days, I really look forward to the times we will have together. Whether it's a walk on the beach, a candlelight dinner for two, or just quiet time together, I can't wait to spend it with her.

Four wonderful and glorious years! I can only imagine what the Lord has in store for us over the next four years.

Blessings until next week.

If Your "Give a Damn's Busted" -- Fix It!

2005-04-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, about that titled caught a few eyes......

Yesterday, I was at Hendrick Health Club spending my 60 minutes of torture on the elipticle machine listening to country's greatest hits and watching 10 different television monitors. At about the 48 minute mark of my exercise routine, Jo Dee Messina's current hit, "My Give a Damn's Busted" came through my earphones. The lyrics go like this:

Well, you filled up my head with so many lies.
You twisted my heart till somethin' snapped inside.
I'd like to give it one more try,
But my give-a-damn's busted.

You can crawl back home, say you were wrong;
Stand out in the yard and cry all night long.
Well, go ahead and water the lawn:
My give-a-damn's busted.

I really wanna care.
I wanna feel somethin'.
Let me dig a little deeper:.
No, sorry: nothin'.

You can say you've got issues, you can say you're a victim.
It's all your parents fault, after all you didn't pick 'em.
Maybe somebody else has got time to listen:
My give-a-damn's busted.

Well, your therapist says it was all a mistake:
A product of the Prozac an' your co-dependent ways.
So who's your neighbor these days?
My give-a-damn's busted.

I really wanna care.
I wanna feel somethin'.
Let me dig a little deeper:.
No, still nothin'.

It's a desperate situation, no tellin' what you'll do.
If I don't forgive you, you say your life is through.
C'mon, gimme somethin' I can use:
My give-a-damn's busted.

Well, I really wanna care.
I wanna feel somethin'.
Let me dig a little deeper:
No, I'm sorry.
Just nothin', you know.
You've really done it this time, ha, ha.
My give-a-damn's busted.

While listening to this, I'm watching the television monitor that's showing the Maury Povich show with an episode entitled, Parents who quit on their children.

Now, I'm not a psychologist or a thereapist, but I do understand a little about what's wrong with our society today. We live in a world where so many people have given up hope. They don't care anymore. It's all about me, myself and I. And for many of them, they've given up on themselves too.

I'm just thankful I have a wife, a family and great friends who don't share that philosophy. And even if they did, I've always got a Father in heaven that will never give up on me. I know as a child of God, I am able to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-5). And for that, I am forever thankful!

Dallas, We Have a Problem!

2005-04-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

In 7th grade, I took a typing class (I know, that really dates me!) for an elective. As part of our typing final exam, we had to type the following phrase:

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.

As a sports fan, and more specifically, as a Dallas Mavericks fan, this phrase has crept into my mind this morning. Except, I would change the phrase to read:

Now is the time for Dirk Nowitzki to come to the aid of his team!

What in the name of Dick Motta and Uwe Blab is going on here! The Mavericks entered the playoffs winning 9 in a row and 13 out of their last 14. This team had a new attitude, a new focus, a new direction and a new coach. They emphasized defense and ball movement. This is the year that the Mavericks were supposed to make a serious run at the western conference title. This is the year the Mavericks proved their critics wrong. This is the year.......they get swept by the Rockets!?!? In the first round!?!?

There are (hopefully!) 5 more games left in this series. It's not time to hit the panic button yet. We can still pull this out. In my opinion, here's what's gone wrong and here's what needs to happen for the Mav's to win the series:

What's Gone Wrong:

-- Avery Johnson looks like a rookie coach in the playoffs. He is being out-coached by Jeff Van Gundy.

-- The Mav's look very hesitant. Probably because of their coach.

-- Michael Findley is old.

-- Dirk Nowitzki is not involved.

What Needs to Happen:

-- Avery, get advise from Nellie. He's been there...a lot. He's watched your two games against the Rockets and I am sure he can give you a pointer or two. Don't let your pride get in the way. I think Avery can and will be a great coach. However, the playoffs are completely different than the regular season.

-- Open up the offense. I know Avery Johnson's preaching defense, but this team thrives when it put points on the board. Run, run, run!!! Make the Rockets play their game, not the other way around.

-- Sit Michael Findley's old rear end on the bench. Play Marquis Daniels. Daniels athleticism can provide mismatches for the Mav's. I like Michael Findley but he's had it.

-- Do whatever it takes to get Dirk more involved. Dirk stands around and does not get into the flow of the game when he doesn't touch the ball. He is your best player. When he plays with energy, the Mav's play with energy. When Dirk's on, the Mav's are on.

It's not too late. The Mav's play well on the road. Maybe that's what they need to get things turned around.

Now is the time for Dirk Nowitzki to come to the aid of his team!

The Joy of Travel

2005-04-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

As the Grateful Dead used to sing, what a long, strange trip it has been (Kevin Roberts should like that opening). I just returned this afternoon from a two day trip to Denver, Colorado. I should have known that with the massive spring snowstorm on Sunday, this trip would be anything but typical. Here's a breakdown of everything I encountered in 48 hours:

Monday, April 11

9:00 am - Arrive in DFW airport to find that my 9:30 am connecting flight to Denver is delayed by 45 minutes.

9:30 am - Instructed to move from gate C31 to C35.

9:45 am - Instructed to move from gate C35 to C37.

10:00 am - Instructed to move from gate C37 back to C31.

10:30 am - Flight takes off for Denver.

12:00 noon - Arrive in Denver...however, there are no open gates so we wait on the runway for 55 minutes.

12:55 pm - Pull into the gate and leave the plane. I make my way to the baggage claim area.

1:00 pm - Informed that flight 1115's luggage would not arrive to baggage claim until at least 2:00 pm.

2:00 pm - Informed that flight 1115's luggage would not arrive to baggage claim until at least 3:00 pm.

3:15 pm - Luggage arrives!

4:30 pm - Arrive to hotel in Denver, CO.

4:55 pm - I take a shower. Upon getting out of the shower, I grab a towel from the shelf. I unfold the towel to find a massive wad of intertwined human hair. I nearly puke.

Tuesday, April 12

9:00 am - I inform the front desk of the Doubletree Hotel that I need to extend my reservation through Wednesday night because David Pitmman, admissions counselor would be staying at the hotel with me but would not leave until Thursday (I left on Wednesday morning). PROBLEM - I did a poor job of explaining and made it sound like that I was sharing the room with another guy -- someone I had just met. I spend the next 5 minutes re-explaining my situation and assuring the front desk that we are co-workers, not life partners!

10:45 pm - David and I return from our Purple and White recruiting party to find all local restaurants already closed. We find a sports bar and grill open and enter. Upon sitting down, we are told the only thing we can order is fried foods from the appetizer menu. We each get 4 chicken strips...each about 4 inches long. We're still starving.

Midnight - David and I get to our hotel room and I pack everything since I have a 6:00 am flight and need to leave the hotel by 4:00 am.

Wednesday, April 13

1:00 am - Wide awake!

1:30 am - Wide awake!

2:00 am - Wide awake!

2:30 am - Wide awake!

3:00 am - I get up and shower and leave.

4:15 am - The Hertz shuttle bus takes me to the terminal. I leave my Oakley sunglasses on the bus just seconds after the bus drive reminds me to take them with me.

10:03 am - Flight 1389 is ready to leave DFW for Abilene. The props are spinning when the pilot shuts everything down, and announces that the terminal has requested access to the plane.

10:07 am - The ticketing agent, the pilot and an armed police officer enter the plane. They ask for a young lady (about 30 years old, blonde and very cute and innocent) to leave the plane with them.

10:25 am - The pilot informs us the the woman had something illegal in her suitcase. So, her and her suitcase are now being searched. We will leave without her.

11:45 am - I am in the Abilene airport waiting on my luggage (oh no, here we go again!) and talking on the phone to Shawna. I accidentally trip and kick the emergency shut off button to the luggage carousel -- just as our luggage was about to be fed through! The "workers" cannot fix it and have to manually bring our luggage into the bagage area. I get dirty looks from everyone!

11:55 am - I am leaving the airport in my car which I had parked at the airport while I was gone. The gate keeper informs me I owe him $15. Of course, I have $9. He says, "I take checks." I reply, "I have no checkbook. What about a credit card?" And you already know the answer to that question. I promise him I will go home, get my checkbook and return with the $15. He reluctantly agrees.

12:40 pm - I return with a check for $15 and try to put this miserable trip behind me.

I hope I never go back to Colorado for as long as I live!

I Am My Father's Son!

2005-04-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the feeling strike you when you realize, "Oh my gosh, I am my father/mother!"?

Mine happened last week. It was a gorgeous spring Tuesday morning and I was preparing to leave the house for work. I had rolled the trash can out to the curb and was walking back to my car when I saw a weed in the front yard. Well, being the perfectionist I am, I immediately walked over to that weed and yanked it out of the ground. Before I could make it to the garage, I spotted another one. So, I plucked it from the earth. Then, I saw another, and another, and another, and another........

Before long, I had a pile of pulled weeds in my front yard, my hands were caked with dirt and grass stains, I was 30 minutes late for work and I was having flashbacks to my own father doing the same thing.

I guess we are all like our parents in some way. I just hope I can be like my dad in many more ways than just having a green thumb! If so, I will be a very blessed man.

March Madness x 5!

2005-04-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

I read an interesting article on the internet a few weeks ago about the actual origin of the term March Madness. As it turns out, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) began a basketball tournamnet in 1908. By the 1930's the tournamnet was referred to as the March Madness Tournament. In the 70's the IHSA officially changed their tournament name to the IHSA March Madness Tournament. It was shortly afterwards that Brent Musberger (announcer for CBS Sports) referred to the NCAA Tournament as March Madness. The two sides have since been in litigation over who actually owns the name. Both sides (IHSA and the NCAA) now have equal control over the term.

While most folks suffer March Madness for three weeks out of the year, I actually endure the torture for over 5 months! In case you did not already know, my wife (Shawna) is the head women's basketball coach for Abilene Christian University, a position she has held for 2+ years. In November of each year, I shed the relatively calm demeanor that most people know me by for the raving lunatic husband, fan, cheerleader and, to Shawna's amusement, unofficial director of basketball operations. I feel as DBO, it is my position to help her plan the next season's non-conference schedule, provide insight of when the team should practice, eat, sleep and travel as well as who we should be recruiting and who should be playing at any given point in the season. I'll share more about some of the predicaments I've found myself in in upcoming blogs!

But for now, I want to brag on my talented wife. I never cease to be amazed at what Shawna can accomplish. She could go an entire year without winning a game (let's hope for everyone's sake that never happens!) and I would still be so proud of her. From the coaching staff to the players, each facet of this program is run with class. I have never been around a more talented, beautiful and Christian group of ladies than the ones that wear the purple and white of ACU women's basketball. But most of all, I am forever in awe of the most talented and most beautiful one of them all.

This past year was a truly amazing year. The preason polls came out and we were picked to finish 5th in conference. No one really gave us a chance since we had lost 6 players (4 starters!) to graduation. But that never phased this group. You could sense the purpose this group of ladies shared. The 2004-05 Wildcats finished 3rd in the Lone Star Conference and made it to the LSC semi-finals. They won 20 games for the first time since the 1998-99 year and went to the NCAA Regional Tournament (the field of 64 for women's basketball) for the first time since that same 98-99 season. We also handed the #12 team in the nation 2 of their 4 losses on the year. Even though the season ended with a lop-sided loss to the #1 team in the nation, I could not have been prouder of each and every person on that team.

I cannot wait for my next bout of "March Madness" to begin...... in early November!

For what it's worth, here are my picks for this weekend:

Louisville over Illinois
North Carolina over Michigan State
North Carolina over Louisville

New Beginnings

2005-03-31T06:53:00.000-08:00

In 5th grade, my honors teacher had the class keep a journal of our thoughts, what we did during the day, our hopes and our dreams. Basically, it was a blog before blogs were created. On several occassions since, I have attempted to keep a journal but always quit a few days into it. Why? Because I always came to the realization that no one would ever read it. So why document what I was feeling, thinking or doing when no one besides me would ever see it. And hey, I already knew what I was feeling, thinking and doing anyway!

So, today I begin my blogging experience. As I am typing this, I am again coming to the realization that I will probably be the only one to ever read this. But what's different about this time is that maybe, just maybe, someone will stumble across my blog and have the opportunity to catch a glimpse into my life. It's not overly exciting -- but it is me. So, here I am. I'm leaving my journal out for anyone to read. Enjoy!